Which way to the beach, dude? Canada’s best beaches.

Parlee Beach, New Brunswick.

As the weather gets warmer and vacation season fast approaches, going on a family get away to a resort down south may not be an option during these dark economic days. But spending a hot afternoon lounging on the beach, surfing on thunderous waves, or swimming in freshwater lakes is not out of the question, as Canada is home to many of the most beautiful and unique beaches in the world. From the mild temperatures Long Beach on Vancouver Island has to offer all the way to a beach that actually sings in Prince Edward Island, this vast nation has a bountiful share of beaches to suit everyone’s tastes — whether it's the beachcomber, sun tanner, beach volleyball player, hiker, or fisherman of the family.

Sauble Beach

Where: Near Owen Sound, Ont. on Lake Huron, a two-hour drive from Toronto and London.

Length: Sauble Beach, which means “Beach of Sand,” stretches into 11 km of gold sand along the clear waters of Lake Huron.

Features: As the second-largest freshwater beach in the world and facing west into the sunset, Sauble Beach has warm waters ideal for swimming. Attractions are available for all ages including amusement parks, bars, playgrounds, and go-karts.

What makes it special: A fisherman’s paradise. In the spring, large rainbow trout can be seen thrashing up the Sauble River Falls and in the summer, small mouth bass and perch are in abundance. While this beach attracts quite a crowd in the hot days of summer, it transforms into a quiet winter escape with 3,000 km of snowmobile trails as well as cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.

Long Beach

Where: From Nanaimo, B.C. it is about a three-hour drive to get to Long Beach, which lies between Tofino and Ucluelet on the West Coast of Vancouver Island.

Length: Long Beach is exactly what its name implies: a 10 km stretch of beautiful beachy sand.

Features: Surrounded by rainforests, Long Beach normally has mild temperatures in the summer from 15 and 30 C.

What makes it special: Although one million tourists visit the Pacific Rim Park each year spending days walking between the series of beaches, it never gives off the feel of a crowded beach. Together, Long Beach, Radar Beach, Combers Beach, and Wickaninnish Beach stretch about 25 km. Renown for its surfable waves and picturesque landscape, as well as its stormy Pacific winter weather. Long Beach is the most accessible beach in the park.

Singing Sands Beach

Where: Located on the northeast tip of Prince Edward Island, Singing Sands Beach (also known as Basin Head Beach) is east of the town of Souris and just over an hour’s drive from Charlottetown.

Length: Although it can be hard to say where one beach ends and another begins in P.E.I., Basin Head is about eight km long.

Features: Basin Head has a great ecosystem, rich with diverse mammals, fish, and plants making it a great destination for long walks, scouring the sand for natural treasures, or sitting on a blanket watching a magnificent sunset.

What makes it special: When beach-goers walk along the sandy shores, a squeaky-singsong noise is made. The singing of the quartz sand made Singing Sands Beach a nomination in CBC’s quest for Canada’s Natural Wonders.

Martinique Beach

Where: Located in Nova Scotia, about an hour’s drive east of Halifax.

Length: At five km, Martinique Beach is the longest sandy beach in Nova Scotia.

Features: Named a bird sanctuary, Martinique Beach has a wildlife that features Canadian geese, the endangered Piper Plover bird, and black ducks.

What makes it special: A quiet underpopulated beach, Martinique is the second home to many surfers who spend hot summer days gliding across its waters.

Wasaga Beach

Where: On the southern shores of Georgian Bay in Ontario, it’s about a 45-minute drive from Barrie, Ont.

Length: With 14 km of white sand, Wasaga Beach is the largest freshwater beach in the world.

Features: Wasaga Beach is a sure fire hit for everyone in the family. A very busy beach, it is a popular attraction for the social butterfly with eight beaches and a Main Street Mall. For the sporting fanatics, there is a driving range and a 60-acre paintball field. For the athletic fitness junky, there are endless trails for walking, cycling, or hiking.

What makes it special: Wasaga Beach has a hidden secret. Unknown to many locals who visit the beach, Wasaga is also home to beautiful sand dunes.

Grand Beach

Where: Located about an hour north of Winnipeg on Lake Winnipeg.

Length: Grand Beach is three km long.

Features: The East Beach is more family friendly, situated next to a campground offering a quiet place to rest. There are also sand dunes that rise up to 12 meters above the beach.

What makes it special: With shallow and warm water coming from Lake Winnipeg, Grand Beach is great for those who like to spend hours in the water.

Parlee Beach

Where: Located on the east coast of New Brunswick near Shediac, about 20 minute’s drive northeast of Moncton.

Length: One km long, approximately 700 metres of the beach is supervised.

Features: As one of the most popular beaches in the province, Parlee Beach is highly accessible, with a fully equipped park site, including changing houses, showers, a canteen, amphitheatre, and washrooms. It is also wheelchair accessible and pet owners are welcome to bring their furry friends to beach day. About one million people visit in the summer months with many as 25,000 visitors on particularly hot days.

What makes it special: Parlee Beach is known for having some of the warmest salt water north of Virginia.

Sandbanks Beach

Where: A part of Sandbanks Provincial Park, this beach is located on Lake Ontario, about 45 minutes south of Belleville, Ont.

Length: This beach stretches seven km.

Features: Although the park has three beaches, Sandbanks is more secluded and is one of the largest beaches in southern Ontario with two of the largest freshwater baymouth sandbars. Activities range from swimming, wind surfing, canoeing, and hiking. For bird lovers, Sandbanks Provincial Park has over 240 species of birds to look out for.

What makes it special: Its flour-soft sand rivals that of the Caribbean.

Wreck Beach

Where: Near University of British Columbia campus, Vancouver.

Length: This beach is 7.8 km long.

Features: Wreck Beach sits below a beautiful, forested backdrop of luscious greens and towering mountains. Over 500,000 people visit the beach annually to swim in the water where the Fraser River meets with the Strait of Georgia and the English Bay. Hosting a vibrant hippie culture, food, beverage and other vendors cruise the beach.

What makes it special: Wreck Beach is Canada’s first legal, clothing-optional beach, and also its largest.